Spotlight on the latest men’s cutting and styling techniques, so you can up your game for 2018 in the barbershop, and create the cool new looks everyone will be wanting in no time!

If you’re following any trendy barbers on Instagram (particularly the ones based in Europe), go take a look at your feed right now.  What do you see?  Texture, longer hair and fringes?  Yes, we’re definitely at a crossroads when it comes to new shapes and haircuts for men.

The European Influence

This latest transformation for men (like so many other big hair trends over the decades!) has taken off in the U.K. more than in any other country, it seems.

“I’ve been seeing this coming out of the U.K. for over a year and a half now,” says Tay Atelier (@TayAtelier on Instagram), Redken for Men artist and Y.S. Park Canada brand ambassador. “We’re seeing hair transition from very defined side parts and undercuts to a modern crop with much more texture on the top.”

There’s a big shift in fringes coming, too. “It’s really short now, with a length of about two inches and sitting high on the forehead, definitely above the eyebrows. The inspiration comes from the Caesar haircut, but it’s done in a really modern way.”

“There’s a very fresh look in barbering right now coming from Europe,” says BaBylissPRO educator and freelance barber Sofia Pok (@staygold31 on Instagram). Traditionally, we’re used to seeing more of a square outline for men’s haircuts but now the shape is rounder and not based on cutting structure anymore. “That being said, hair is definitely longer but cleaner on the sides,” adds Pok.

Hybrid Styles

“At the salon where I work in Brampton, Ontario,” says Atelier, “we’re seeing very young, cool high school kids come in and want something drastically different they’re loving on social media that’s reminiscent of the ’80s. Perms are high on their radar and there’s a lot of movement in the hair.”

For Pok, barbering is entering a new phase and merging with more traditional hairstyling. “Yes, there’s still a bit of that old style barbering, but with a new finish and feel. A lot of the modern haircuts are not standard, and hybrid styles are really coming on strong.”

What exactly are “hybrid styles”? The merge between barbering and hairstyling techniques are still making their way in the industry, and barbers should learn how to work and perform better with longer hair, says Atelier. “For instance, if your client isn’t ready to go for a perm, start working with hot tools—say a flat iron or a wand—to create those curls.”

Texturizing is King

Pomade used to be the big thing to finish a traditional barbering hairstyle. But, according to Pok, the trend now is for a puffier haircut, which you can easily achieve with point cutting. “Hair on the forehead is bigger and worn forward. So, to balance all that, you need to create more texture on the top of the head.”

To create these looks, focus on clays, putties and sea salts, as well as curl lotions and products to retain curls while eliminating frizz.

Also fading away are pompadours, particularly for the type of client who wants the latest and boldest hairstyles. “Keep in mind, though, that it always depends on the style of the client you have in your chair. The clean cuts do have staying power for the more classic and traditional man,” explains Atelier. 

The main thing to remember is to make a point of learning something new every year that takes you out of your comfort zone. Taking classes for cutting and styling longer hair may also be prudent as it’s an important time to cater to the very specific desires of a discerning male clientele.

Fading and blending are still super important, says Pok, but the main thing is to understand the use of all the tools you have at your disposal and to practice as much as possible. “For instance, sometimes you don’t need to apply that much pressure on a clipper to get that kick-ass fade, but that’s learned [with much time and experience].”
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This article first appeared on Salon Magazine CA

Pinterest loves this haircut, and you will too.

Short haircuts for curly hair can be tricky thing. Chop too short and your curls won’t show off their full spiral. If strands are too long, curls could get weighed down and lose their bounce. Needless to say, we’ve been on an exhaustive hunt for the best haircuts for curly hair for quite some time. We searched high and low to find the ideal length, style, and cut; and we’re pretty sure we finally did.

We’re calling the style pictured here the curly shag and it’s going to make you want to book an appointment with your stylist, ASAP. The cut falls just above the shoulders and is characterized by lots of layers and a heavy part. We absolutely love how it frames the face without overwhelming—or giving us the feeling we would constantly be tucking it behind our ears or pinning it back.

When it comes to shoulder-length cuts for curly hair, it’s easy to fall prey to the triangle look—you know, the one that juts out from the top of the head in a triangle shape coming just above the shoulders. A mere mention of the triangle is enough to send any curly-haired woman into a full panic before chopping her locks. Avoiding the not-so-flattering look is completely doable, though. The key is plenty of layers. The stylist expertly crafted layer after layer to give curls the most spiral potential. We love how each curl lays gently on the other without stacking outward, instead, gently curving around the face. 

We even love the heavy part, which is again made possibly with the use of plenty of layers. The dramatic look gives the curls an almost tousled, woke-up-like-this effect that we absolutely love—and that will garner plenty of compliments when you take it for a spin.
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When you think about the humble widow’s peak, who comes to mind?
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Leonardo DiCaprio? Jude Law? The mighty Jack Nicholson?

These are just three famous blokes rocking the widow’s peak, but there are plenty more out there. Maybe you’ve got one yourself, and find settling on a hairstyle you like tricky.

If you don’t like your widow’s peak, what can you do to make it work for you?

Styling Choices

Depending on how thin your hair is and how far back your hairline has receded, you might feel tempted to shave your widow’s peak off.

Whatever you do, don’t!  Your best option is to just go with the widow’s peak and pick the best hairstyle for your face shape – some cuts mask or complement it.

One great option is to go for a pompadour style, which works best for wavy and straight hair. Your widow’s peak will actually make the pompadour look more prominent, giving you an advantage.

Of course, if you don’t fancy trying the ever-so-trendy pompadour style, try rocking a long fringe instead. Obviously, the length covers your widow’s peak, and is pretty low maintenance.

Another hairstyle that works brilliantly for widow’s peaks? Spikes. As with the pompadour, your widow’s peak will help to make your front spikes stand out more. Keep the hair short and tight around the sides to emphasize the main portion of the style.

For a softer look, go for a side part: with your hair slicked or pulled to one side, you’ll make the peak look smaller. This is a must-have style for modern guys, and if you combine it with a beard, you’ll look even better & more on-trend.

If you want something a bit more different, go for an asymmetrical style. This will add more texture and shape to your hairline, and draw attention from your widow’s peak.

Depending on your face shape, one hairstyle will suit you more than others; if you pick one that really, really doesn’t work for you, you might end up making your widow’s peak look even more prominent.
 
Have a chat with your stylist about your widow’s peak, and which cuts will suit your face shape best. Maybe take some pictures of celebrity hairstyles you like along with you, and be willing to take their advice. Their suggestions and ideas could well be better than you realize at first, so give them a chance.

This article first appeared on Rugged Yet Smooth

We’ve all experienced that post haircut disappointment after dropping $40 on a haircut and getting something that’s far from what you wanted. But who’s at fault here? While it’s possible that you could have just picked a not-so-great barbershop, even the best barbers need to know what you actually want in order to give it to you. The thing here is, it’s often not that easy to communicate what that thing is. There are a few things that your barber needs to know during your visit and here we’ll show you how to show them.

One of the most important parts of getting your hair cut is working out the length. Whilst you’re partly paying a visit to a barbershop to clean your mop up you’re also usually trying to cut it back a bit and prevent it from getting too long and unruly. But how long do you really want it? “Short on the sides and long on the top” is what many customers would say but this tells your barber only slightly more than nothing. Try and imagine the last time you saw a male hairstyle that wasn’t short on the sides and long on the top. I’ll wait.

There are two main ways you can go about describing the length you’d like your hair to be. You can either tell them how long it’s been since your last cut to give them an idea of how short you had it cut last time or you can describe the length with a tad more complexity. Simply telling your barber the size of the clipper you want on the sides (a number 2 for most men) and the length you’d like on the top (1.5-2 inches is a good place to start) can go a long way to helping them understand what kind of a cut you’re looking for.

You’ll also want to fill the barber in on if and how you style your hair as well as if you’d rather a tapered or blocked neckline. Most guys should probably go for a tapered neckline but, if you can pull it off, a blocked neckline can often set you apart from the rest.

It’s also important to be aware of the limits of your hair. Everyone’s hair is different and some styles only work on certain types of hair; if your barber tells you he can’t do it with your hair, he probably knows best.

Overall it’s imperative that you’re as descriptive as possible. Leaving things out or not fully fleshing out your ideas is a sure-fire way to miscommunicate what you want and can result in ending the trim with disappointment.

If you can’t do that, don’t shy away from bringing in a picture. The cliché is cliché for a reason – a picture really does speak a thousand words. When you’re struggling to get your ideas out there that thousand words goes a long way towards ensuring you get a haircut you’re comfortable and happy with.

Getting a haircut isn’t meant to be a difficult experience and as a modern man you should be able to comfortably describe to your barber what you want in a way that he can understand. If all else fails don’t be afraid to ask him for help or advice! Any good barber will be eager to help you with almost anything regarding hair. Which style looks better on you? What product should you use to achieve it? They’ll be happy to answer all of it. So just ask them! They might snip but they won’t bite.
 This article first appeared on Rugged Yet Smooth